wiley



I R. E. & W. K. WILEY & W. S. HOUGH, J11.

ILLUMINATED SIGN APPLIOATION FILED FEB-.5. 1912.

Reissued Api129, 1913. v 1 3,558.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 1.

Q WSE WZ INVENTORS ATTORNEY R.,R. & W. KJWILBY & W. s. HOUGH, J11. ILLUMINATED SIGN. APPLICATION FILED FEB-12,1912

Reissued Apr. 29, 1913. I I 13,558

12.12am y, L Wiley Y 70 WLSI/ ow/ J INVENTORS ATTORNEY 'in the county of Erie, State of New York,

tively to each other so as co form a charin Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the UNITED STATlBEiEATENT OFFIGE.

ROY RODNEY WILEY AND WALLACE KENNETH WILEY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, AND WILLIAMS SIMPSON HO'UGH, JR-., OF ST. CATHERINES, ONTARIC), CANADA, ASSIGN OBS 'rp FLEXLUME SIGN COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A. CORPURATION.

ILLUMINATEIJ SIGN.

Specification of Reissueii Letters Patent.

Bieissued Apr. as, i913.

Original application filed October 24, 1908, Serial No. 459,388. Renewed December 26,-1.9(39, Serial No. 534,163. Original No. 948,557, dated February 8, 1910. Application for reissue filed February 5, 1912.

Serial No. 875,894.

119 all whom it may concern Be it known that We, ROY R. WILEY and \WALLACE K. \VILEY, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Buflalo.

and \VILLIAM S. Houci-r, Jr., a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of St. Catherincs, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminated Signs, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention rclates to signs in general, and to illuminated signs in particular.

The objects of the invention are to produce a maximum .hril'liancy, with a minimum number of lamps; to protect the reflecting surfaces from dirt and the Weather; to climinate all useless portions of the reflecting surfaces, for the purpose of reducing bulk and weight; to eradicate blurring ellects and localized bright spots, and to provide a durable sign for long'distance vision, as well as for short range.

The statement: of the invention is as fol lows, it being noted that the various scopes of the invention are attended to in the claims hereinafter annexed.

The organization, underlyin our conception, consists of a pluralityo central scgmerits of parabolic reflectors placed relaacter, abox WhOSQ contour is that of said character, surrounding said reflectors, aglass plate covering said box, and lamps for the reflectors.

s Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section at the line X. X

arrow Y. Fig. 3 is: a side elevation of a ortion of a modified reflector, on. an enarged scale. Fig. i is a front elevation of a modified construction of theletterN. Fig. 5 is a side viewof that portion of the letter N, atthe left of the line WV Z. Fig. (iisa front elevation of the frame used in Fig. 4.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2; the structure consists of a box, shaped like;

the letter H, and having its .front covered by a glass plate and held by bent, over lips 4, which are a part of the material of the box 1, and a plurality of central segmental para appearance of a dotted or spotted sign, and

character.

bolic reflectors 8 rouped to form the letter H, and. located inside of said box 1, the reportion of a paraboloid, which lies between 'tWO parallel planes, respectively on opposite sides of the of the paraboloid, and lamps 7 the reflectors, respectiveiy located at the foci of the reflectors. tion, we may use small auxiliary reflectors 5. in front of the lamps, for throwing the light, incident thereon, back to the main. parabolic reflector, thercbyprevcnting the serving to increase the legihility at a dis tance. The small reflectors are shown per tor-atcd, at the holes 6, to form screcns.

In "operation, the light is divided, one portion being reflected by each reflector 8, in a, beam of light having approximately a rectangular shaped cross section, another por tion being thrown forward by the flat surface 9, at the back of the lamp, and another portion striking the reflector 5, then the re iiectors 9 and 8, and finally leaving the device, while some of the light radiated to the reflector 5, passes through the holes thereof, and evens up the general hrilliancy of the The reflectors or'scrccns se ve to eradicate blurring/effects and localized bright spots by softening the intensity of only of the light passes througH'the'sc-reens hy'way of the holes 6, While the light intercepted and diverted bythe screens to the retlectors 8 from the signecharactcr side of the light source serves to intensify the light di rected through the sign character from; the reflectors 8 by the addition to such reflected light of the light diverted hackwardly by the screens 5 to said reflectors 8, thus making up for the loss of light reaching thev reflectors '8 directly from the light sourcc,'sincc the intensity of light undergoing reflect-ion is reduced-by such reflection. This softening orgreducin of the direct light by the screens 5 andthezlntensifying of the light reflected bythe-refleetors 8, practically all about the screens 5,; isfound to efiectually prevent blurring or localized bright spots and contributes to the production of even illumination over the entire sign-character, Whether viewed at short range or from a long dis tance.

Qur Invention may be modified without departing from the spirit thereof. Instead a parabolic surface, and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 be- -ing different views of complete parabolic of thc'more common parabolic surface of spoon shape, the surface 8 may be that described by a parabolic curve moved parallel to a plane in which lies the axis and the directrix oi the parabola, and farther and farther away from said lane, Fig. 3 being an enlarged side View ot a port1on of such on an N shaped frame, composed of longv and narrow boxes G,.Which'contain the Wiring H for the lamps H. I represents cross braces for making the structure suitable for shipping and for endurance. J represents bolts and nuts for attaching the letter N to supports usually on the tops or sides of the buildings.

By this simple construction, it is easy to provide signs several feet high, and by means of only one lamp in each'reflector, the sign appears brilliant all over its surface, and at Teat distances away. i

lVhat is claimed is:- v

1. In an illuminated sign, the combination of a pair of parabolic reflectors, each approximately rectangular in outline, and

placed opposite each .other so as to have their foci coincident, a third rectangular reflector joining the ends of said pair of reflectors, a lamp located at the common focus, and other like combinations of reflectors and lamps grouped together to form the shape ofv a character.

2. In an illuminated sign, the combination of a series of central segments of parabolic reflectors, placed endto end to form a character, said segments being those portions which lie between parallel planes on opposite sides of and parallel to the axis of the parabola, and lamps at the foci.

3. Inan illuminated sign, the cmnbination of a plate of glass, of rectangular outline, a

pair of parabolic reflectors, having an end of each bearing against said glass plate, and each reflector approximately rectangular in outline and both placed opposite each other -so as to have theirvfoci coinciding, a fiat rectangular reflector joining the ends of said reflectors, and a'lamp located approximately at the common focus of saidreflectors, and other like combinations of glass, reflectors,

and lamps, grouped together to form the shape of a character.

4. In an illuminated sign,- a sign character of light transmitting material, a hghtgivin means positioned for the direct passage 0 light from said light giving means through the sign character, reflecting means for directing light through portions of the sign character, and light modifying means between the light giving means and the sign character and permitting the unmodified passage of a portion of the light emitted from the light giving means through the light modifying means to and through the sign character.

5. In an illuminated sign, a sign character of light transmitting material, a light giving means onthe side of the sign character remote from that to be observed, reflectors related to the source of light todirect light rays from. the source of light at different angles through the sign character, and .a light reducing screen between the source of light and adjacent portions of the sign character, said light reducing screen permitting unmodified passage therethrough of a por-.' tion of the light from the light source and;

having a reflecting face toward the source of light to divert portions of the light to thg; an

said reflectors to be again reflected to through the sign character;

6. In an illuminated sign, a signcharacter;

material, a source off-9.5 light on the side 0 the sign character remote from the side thereof to be observed,"

of light transmittin reflectors related to the source of light t0! direct light rays, therefrom at difi'erent angles through ,the sign character, and a perforated screen between-thesource of light and the sign character and having! the face toward the source of light constructed to r;- flect the light striking it on to the first named reflectors to be again reflected in a direction to traverse the sign character.

In testimony, that we claim the foregoing as our own, We have hereto afiixed our signa tures in the presence of two witnesses.

nor scram WILEY. Wat-LACE KENNETH WILEY. wittiiu SIMPSON Hones, JR.

Witnesses Ross F. Srnnnnnow, v J. A. Rooms. 

